Ella Mccay ★★

Released: 12 December 2025

Director: James L Brooks

Starring: Emma Mackey, Jack Lowden, Jamie Lee-Curtis, Kumail Nanjiani, Woody Harrelson, Albert Brooks

Throughout his career, James L Brooks has left an indelible print on popular culture through his award-winning films Terms of Endearment, Broadcast News and As Good as It Gets, and his work on The Simpsons. He also played a vital hand in launching the career of one Wes Anderson.

At 85 years old, Brooks now brings us his first feature film in 15 years, Ella McCay, with Emma Mackey in the titular role (not confusing at all). It follows our titular Governor, juggling her political and personal lives amidst the financial crisis of 2008. Brooks took inspiration from watching a real Governor give a speech that bored the crowd and plays on this several times within the film. He is trying to recapture the glory of his 80s films, re-teaming with star Albert Brooks, but does he stick the landing?

The primary issue with Ella McCay is how overstuffed it is with a stacked cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis as Ella’s aunt Helen, Woody Harrelson as her father, Jack Lowden as her husband Ryan and smaller parts for Ayo Edeberi and Rebecca Hall. Outside of Ella and Helen, very few of these characters feel fully fleshed out and give us little reason to care. The dialogue, unlike Brook’s very best, feels too jarring and eccentric for the political themes and setting it deals with. Holly Hunter fully embodied Jane in Broadcast News, and while Emma Mackey is trying her best here, she certainly isn’t working with the same level of material.

It’s not just the cast where there is pedigree, Hans Zimmer reunites with Brooks for their fifth collaboration while the DOP is Robert Elswit, a frequent collaborator with Paul Thomas Anderson and Tony Gilroy. With so much talent both in the cast and crew, it only makes the film’s issues all the more frustrating.

It is a disappointing return for Brooks in what may well be his last feature film as a director. It’s not without its moments to savour, particularly in the dynamics between Ella and Helen alongside some of the humour, but he is juggling too many plates, and the tone and messaging are often muddled. Too many of the characters and subplots feel tangential to Ella’s story and offer little to help move the plot forward. The quirkiness, which works well in something like As Good As It Gets, just feels out of place here.